HIQA identifies issues at Lifford and Carndonagh Community Hospitals

HIQA has found that the premises of two community hospitals in Donegal do not meet the needs of residents.
An unannounced HIQA inspection was carried out at Lifford Community Hopsital on July 1st, a number of non-compliances were identified.
The inspector said; overall the delivery of nursing and medical care to residents was effective but the centre did not meet the needs of all residents, particularly in relation to the premises.
Carndonagh Community Hospital was mostly compliant however, the inspector found that the premises did not meet the needs of residents.
The report stated that residents in the four multi-occupancy bedrooms at Lifford Community Hospital were not afforded the right to undertake personal activities in private and their privacy and dignity was not protected as the layout meant the bedrooms were used as a thoroughfare for residents, visitors and staff to access facilities on a link corridor.
The inpsector said this was an outstanding non-compliance from the previous inspection and had not been addressed in line with the compliance plan submitted following the previous inspection in 2018 and was not in line with the centre’s statement of purpose.
There was no evidence that the registered provider had progressed the architectural report referenced in the compliance plan of the inspection report of the 16 January 2018 which aimed to address the major non-compliances with Regulation 17.
In relation to Carndonagh Community Hospital, the report states that the design and layout was not suitable for its stated purpose and did not conform to schedule 6 of the regulation, primarily in relation to the provision of adequate space in multi-occupancy bedrooms and sufficiency of communal, sanitary and storage facilities.
The inspector highlighted that there was limited private accommodation in some of the multi-occupancy bedrooms, insufficient sitting, recreational and dining space and additional alternative communal space suitable for social, cultural and religious activities was not available.
During the inspection the inspector was presented with architectural plans and the timetable for the schedule of works due to be carried out at the hospital with the inspector advising that the plans did not provide sufficient toilets.
The Carndonagh Report can be viewed HERE
The Lifford Report can be viewed HERE